Imported parasitic nephritis: Review of medical literature

Renal involvement in parasitic infections are polymorphic. Plasmodium malar iae often leads to membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis whereas acute t ubular necrosis or post-infectious acute glomerulonephritis are observed wi th Plasmodium falciparum. Urogenital taxis of Schistosoma haematobium is re sponsible for frequency of chronic tubular and interstitial nephritis. With out specific treatment, the renal function progressively deteriorates and u rological complications appear. Schistosoma mansoni mainly leads to mesangi al and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. Membranoproliferative and membranous glomerulonephritis are reported with loasis. Onchocerca volvulus also leads to membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and lipoid nephrosi s. Renal involvement with Wuchereria bancrofti is rare. With leishmaniosis, it is often mild but more serious observations are described: acute glomer ulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome or acute interstitial nephritis. Renal hyd atic cysts are diagnosed in two or three per cent of cases. Surgery is the only treatment. Immunosuppressive or antimalarial treatments seem to be ineffective in the outcome of chronic glomerulonephritis.